Words
by Rathen
Summary: Words are a powerful force. They can hurt, heal and create rather interesting situations. As Peter and Claire are soon to discover.


"You can't tell me you don't want this, me!" he shouted as he again moved closer toward her.

She could hear her body crying out for him to touch her, hold her, complete her but she was way too stubborn, to much like her father, to admit the fact out loud.

"Wanna bet?!" she snapped, not sure if it had sounded as convincing as she wanted it to. "Don't assume to know me! You don't!"

"How can you say that?" he had clearly believed her words, even if he didn't want to. "How can you look me in the eye and be so cruel? So heartless?"

She stood there in silence, not entirely sure how to answer him. She knew right then and there that she had taken this too far. She had hurt him. It was written all over his beautiful face and gleaming in his now tear-filled eyes. She closed her eyes to escape the heartbreaking view.

She waited too long. Took too long to realise her mistake. She opened her eyes and mouth, ready with apology, at the same time. Her voice failed her when her eyes took in the empty room. He had gone.

Claire sank to her knees and openly wept. She had never meant to hurt him. Never in a thousand lifetimes would hurting him be anywhere near her list of things to do but she had done it anyway.

The only reminder that he had even been in her room was the book left open on her nightstand. A collection of his favourite poems. She had often seen him reading it when she went to visit him, it was clearly one of his favourites. It had been that very book that had caused him to be in her room in the first place.

Claire picked up the book as she threw herself down on to her bed. Sighing deeply and shaking her head at the innocent offender, she thought back to how she had come to be in this moment of woe and heartache.

She closed her eyes and allowed the nights previous activities to replay in her mind. It was foolish to think but Claire hoped against hope that the ending, in her minds version, would be different.

FLASHBACK

"Hello?" Peter answered the phone in his usual relaxed way.

"Hey!"

"Claire?" She could almost see the smile he would now be wearing.

"Hey, Peter! What you up to?"

"Nothing special. Just finished watching some old movie."

"What you planning now?"

"I was thinking about doing some reading. Why the sudden interest?"

Claire had blushed at that point. She had hoped the tone behind her inquires would go un-noticed. But this was Peter!

"Well, I've got a bit of a problem." she lied. It was a major problem.

"What's wrong?" his concern was as intense as it was instant.

"Calm down, Peter!" she soothed. "It's just an essay for school."

She closed her eyes as she heard him slowly let out a long deep breath. In her minds eye, she could almost picture the smile dropping of his face, replaced by concern and anger at whatever the unseen threat to her was, only to be replaced once more with sheer relief.

"What's the problem?" he still sounded tense but Claire could tell it was easing.

"It's for English Lit. I need to compare the works of a famous poet with life issues of today."

She could hear him smiling again. "I think I could help you with that. I've got a book…"

"I know." she grinned. "Why do you think I called you?"

"I could drop it off to you tomorrow if you like?"

Claire grinned happily to herself again. She knew she could always rely on Peter but just this once, she was going to see how far she could push.

"My papers due in the morning."

Claire waited, expecting the row about leaving it so late to begin at any moment. She had already heard one from her father, Nathan. Why would Peter be any different? She expected him to be annoyed at what she was expecting him to do.

Claire was shocked when his real response reached her ear.

"I'll be right over."

END OF FLASHBACK

Claire sank further into her bed as she stared blankly at the laptop. She couldn't even remember getting up and retrieving it for her desk. It felt as though it had magically appeared in her lap.

She gazed longingly at the book, laying open beside her at a random page. Without so much as a conscious thought, her fingers began to dance across the small keyboard before her and words almost too true to bear began to fill the screen.

EXPRESSIVE POETRY

A comparative study of poetry and current life

By Claire Bennet (Petrelli)

I crave your mouth, your voice, your hair

by Pablo Neruda

Don't go far off, not even for a day

Don't go far off, not even for a day,

Because I don't know how to say it - a day is long

And I will be waiting for you, as in

An empty station when the trains are

Parked off somewhere else, asleep.

Don't leave me, even for an hour, because then

The little drops of anguish will all run together,

The smoke that roams looking for a home will drift

Into me, choking my lost heart.

Oh, may your silhouette never dissolve

On the beach, may your eyelids never flutter

Into the empty distance.

Don't leave me for a second, my dearest, because in that moment you'll

Have gone so far I'll wander mazily

Over all the earth, asking, will you come back?

Will you leave me here, dying?

Claire's hands worked furiously over the keyboard and soon her essay, of a thousand words, was complete. She normally hated the enormous amount her teachers demanded but, this time, she felt every word she wrote down. If her teachers actually knew what had happened tonight, they would have realised that it wasn't an essay she had been writing, it was an apology.

It was for Peter.

Claire's mind drifted back as she scanned over her work, checking it for errors. Her heart rose and sank as each image infiltrated her mind. She didn't really want to remember how badly it had gone but knew she must. There had to be a way to fix this and remembering was the only way to figure out how.

FLASHBACK

"You're totally my Hero!" Claire beamed as Peter materialised in her bedroom.

Peter smirked and waved the book at her. "You'd think I'd be tired of hearing that by now." he laughed.

"Nah!" giggled Claire as she rushed over and hugged him for all she was worth.

Peter quickly wrapped his arms around her smaller frame and hugged her back. "So," he said finally pulling away. "What needs done?"

Claire moved quickly to her desk and handed him her homework assignment sheet. "Like I said, compare poetry to modern life. A thousand words!" Claire groaned as she said the required length.

Peter laughed again, his smile lighting up the room, as far as Claire was concerned anyway. "Shouldn't be a problem." he smirked as Claire grimaced. "Poetry has a way of inspiring people!"

"In that case, why don't you write it for me?!" Claire joked, rubbing his arm lightly.

"You cheat!" chuckled Peter.

"You have to help me!" Claire pleaded, gripping his arm where she had still been rubbing it.

Peter gently eased her hand from his arm and rubbed the now slightly sore spot. "It's a good thing I heal, Claire."

"You're welcome!" she beamed.

"Thank you." he smirked.

Claire slumped down on to her bed and sighed deeply, dropping her head into her hands. "How the hell am I suppose to write a thousand words?!" she said, her voice betraying how desperate she was becoming.

Peter sat down on the bed next to her, swinging his legs up and relaxing back against her headboard. He pulled Claire into a warm comforting cuddle. "Why don't I read you some and we see how it goes from there?"

Claire finally looked up at Peter and could instantly see the concern flash across his face as his fingers began wiping her tears away.

"Peter?" her voice cracked half way through speaking. "You're totally my hero!"

"I know, Claire." he whispered softly. "I know."

Claire stayed in Peter's comforting embrace as he began to read a few examples from his book. The first one was an Ode to a deceased loved one, which made Claire's heart break with it's sadness. She quickly wiped away the few tears it caused before Peter could see them. The second was one of pure anger and rage. Claire couldn't help but feel confused as to what could have inspired the poet to write such a thing.

"Kind of makes you wonder what happened, doesn't it?" whispered Peter once he'd finished. Claire smiled up at him and nodded.

"So what do you think?" asked Peter, lowering the book slightly.

"I think," started Claire. "That you're reading one's you 'think' I should hear. I want to hear one that YOU love."

Peter sighed lightly and smiled softly at Claire. "If that's what YOU want, Claire."

"It is!" she announced quite proudly.

"Very well then." Peter said as he raised the book once more and began to read again.

Claire's heart swelled and almost burst with emotion as Peter read her his favourite poem out of the entire book. It's message was so clear, even a deaf blind mute would have picked up on it. It spoke of a love so pure and strong but completely unattainable. Peter's voice was so soft and clear as he read it to her, Claire couldn't help but be amazed. Deep down, she had the strangest feeling that Peter was letting her in a little closer, letting her see behind his usual mask of calm and carefree.

Claire was right!

Claire closed her eyes as Peter read and didn't care that small trails of tears were now running down her cheeks. The poem was just too powerful to deny.

She sighed heavily when Peter finished reading and silence filled the room.

The softest of kisses pressed against her lips and Claire's entire being welcomed the contact. Responding to it, Claire felt Peter deepening the kiss, his arms snaking around her, drawing her closer into the embrace. Her heart screamed out in utter happiness as she felt his body pressing against her own, she was finally getting what she had been dreaming of for over a year!

Suddenly, Nathan's voice drifted down the corridor towards her bedroom and Claire's mind forced her to remember and realise what she was doing. Nathan was her FATHER and Peter's BROTHER! Peter was her UNCLE!

"Stop!" whispered Claire against Peter's perfect lips. "Stop it!"

Peter pulled back, concerned and unsure about the sudden change in Claire. "What's wrong?"

"This is!" she announced, hating herself a little more with each word.

Adding insult to injury, Claire shoved Peter away form her, causing him to fall off the bed. He shot to his feet, startled and a little annoyed. He took a step closer but Claire backed away from him.

"You can't tell me you don't want this, me!" he shouted as he again moved closer toward her.

END OF FLASHBACK

Finishing off the last paragraph, Claire felt the tears stinging in her eyes and added her breaking heart and what it had caused to the paper.

'These simple, yet poignant words drive home the message to all who are fortunate enough to see. That love, a force so terrifying and controlling is also the greatest release. That those of us lucky enough to find it, should embrace it and bask in it's warmth. Fools are those who turn it away, into the dark and chill of night. For as you read the words of the poets, you truly see the cold emptiness that losing love leaves behind.

There is a saying: It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all!

To anyone foolish enough to believe that, I say: Ignorance is bliss!'

Claire quickly emailed her essay to her teachers mail box. She knew it was the lazy way to submit it but her printer was broken and it was due in first thing in the morning.

For some reason, it seemed to take twice as long for it to send and Claire busied herself with getting a late night snack while she waited. She padded quietly down to the kitchen and set about making a sandwich and chocolate milkshake, it was a warm night after all. Once both were finished, she washed the dishes she had used and padded back up to her room.

Claire stopped dead in her tracks as she opened her bedroom door. Someone was in her room! They were standing, perfectly still, with their back to her. Panic filled her mind until her bedside light magically switched on, illuminating the room and its new occupant.

It was Peter!

Claire quickly closed her bedroom door behind her but hesitated about moving closer towards him. She only hoped he wasn't still angry about earlier.

A strange sound caught her attention. It was a sob. Peter was crying!

Claire rushed over to him and just as she came near, he spun around to face her.

"Thank you, Claire." he whispered.

"Why are you crying?" Claire whispered back, her heart in tatters on seeing him in such a state.

"I read your essay." his eyes gleamed as he spoke.

"But… how?"

"You emailed it to me. I thought…" Peter suddenly sounded unsure of himself. "I thought you wanted me to read it. I… guess I was wrong. I'll go."

"NO!" Claire squealed, a little louder than she meant to. "I did want you to read it. I just… I didn't realise I'd sent it to you."

Peter's arms were suddenly around her and Claire had never felt warmth like it before in her life. "I'm so sorry, Peter." she whispered into his chest. "I never meant to hurt you before, I didn't mean those things I said."

"I know." Peter's hug tightened slightly. "Your essay told me everything."

"Peter?"

"Yes, Claire."

"Don't leave." Claire knew she was begging but she didn't care anymore.

"I wont." he promised as he pressed a soft kiss to her hair.

Together, they moved toward her bed and gently lay each other down on to it. Peter used his absorbed telekinesis to turn the light back off and set about kissing Claire.

They made love for the very first time that night. Claire delighted in giving herself to him and Peter relished giving himself to her.

After it was over, they lay, spent and sated, holding each other closely. Peter tugged the quilt up over the top of them, refusing to let Claire get cold for even a second.

"I love you Peter." Claire whispered as slumber began to claim her.

A soft kiss pressed tenderly against her lips. "I love you too, Claire." Peter whispered back to her.

They gracefully accepted the waiting slumber, knowing that the truth was finally out between them. Neither gave any thought as to what the morning would bring, but neither actually cared. Tonight had been their night, their perfect moment, and no thoughts of pending doom or trepidation were allowed to enter.

Each slept soundly in the others arms, knowing they would see their lovers eyes as soon as they woke the following morning.

Tomorrow would bring a very different world for them but they knew they would face it together, no matter what it brought. For that's what people who truly loved each other did.

Just like the greatest poems always said.

The End


End file.
